Cole Campbell is heading out on loan for the remainder of the current Bundesliga season.
Hoffenheim has acquired the U.S. youth national team attacker on loan until June, the club announced Monday. The loan move from Borussia Dortmund also comes with an option to purchase the player outright.
Campbell signed a first-team contract with Borussia Dortmund in July 2024, which runs until 2028. The 19-year-old has made seven senior appearances for the Black and Yellow’s first team.
In addition, Campbell has made 71 combined appearances between Dortmund’s Under-23, Under-19, and Under-17 teams, scoring 21 goals and adding 20 assists.
Campbell also played in Iceland for FH Hafnarfjörður and Breidablik UBK before moving to Germany.
Born in Texas, Campbell previously played for Iceland’s U-17 national team before switching his allegiance to the United States. He featured at the FIFA U-20 World Cup with the U.S. and also has experience with the USMNT U-23 squad.
“Cole is a very talented winger with great potential for development, whom we have been watching closely for some time,” said Hoffenheim sporting director Andreas Schicker. “He has great pace and strong one-on-one qualities. He can be used in a variety of ways on the offensive flanks. We are convinced that he can give our team an extra boost.”
Hopefully this will be a fruitful loan for him.
Good for him. Sad no Americans are left at Dortmond, but Albert.
I hate to say it but Dortmund isn’t the problem. Have you seen him play? He had his moment to show his worth at the U20 WC and consistently was a one man attack killer. He played so selfishly and disconnected from his teammates it was cringe worthy. Keep in mind he only got time with BVB’s first team due to an incredible amount of injuries and never showed anything special or that he even belonged on the pitch at Bundesliga level – especially with a team like Dortmund.
That being said Hoffenheim could be a better place to develop. Unlike Dortmund who have a pressure to win and win now (young players either have it or they don’t and Campbell is not Haaland, Bellingham, Gittens, Pulisic, or even Sancho, Adeyemi or Moukoko), Hoffenheim can linger in the top half of the table. The fact is they are in the running for the top four this season so he will have to step up to impress to get playing time.
Cole was not very sharp at the U20 WC as if his injury last spring and lack of playing time this fall had really hurt him. I’m a little surprised by the loan, there’s been some things coming out that the organization has been down on him for awhile. Mostly about petty stuff like using too nice of luggage and driving his dad’s Porsche to training (seen as being to flashy).
Kid has head case stamped across his forehead…at least that’s what I think. You are being kind with your appraisal of his WC performance.
I didn’t like what I was seeing either.
I’ve never liked selfish players. I always had a policy I could afford one diva on my teams and even then only if he was good enough the headache was worth the production. You start putting them together you get locker room cancer.
He did not appear good enough to be a diva.
There were other things as well. They arranged for a big photo shoot to promote Cole leading into the WC as a rising star ready to breakout and then never played him a minute. Apparently the jersey of all the current pros are hanging in the box seat area at Signal Iduna Park. His family came for a match and Cole’s wasn’t up even though he’d been dressing for months. They asked about and it was hung. Then a few months they show up with family and friends at the end of the season and it’s not hanging again.
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Not all is on Dortmund of course. Two players showed up this summer having not completed their summer workouts. Gio, because he said “I’m not playing here anyway” and Cole because he did his summer runs on the treadmill which BVB said didn’t count. Maybe they didn’t make expectations clear, but a pro should have known or asked. Some of the problem is Kovac and his system using wingbacks instead of wingers. Duranville has seen a similar issue of they sit him on the bench for the first team but don’t play him but also won’t play him on the U23 team. It’s pretty clear they’re not interested but they won’t sell them. It’s bizarre. You could see why when a 19 yr old finally got on the field he’d be trying to do too much. I don’t know what happens Hoffenheim seems set at RW so, not sure this loan is going to go well.